


at the end of our time

by nifeandaccurate (12AM)



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Smoking, they're not the big ol heroes but they do okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 05:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5278703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/12AM/pseuds/nifeandaccurate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They don't care about being heroes, they just want the world to keep spinning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	at the end of our time

**Author's Note:**

> For [oyonok](http://oyonok.tumblr.com/), as part of a trade. I'm sorry this is so late and I hope you like it! This turned out a lot longer than I planned, whoops.

 

Arthur sits on the shoulder of an 80m jaeger, feet dangling off the edge, as he directs the crew below on the scaffolding on fitting in a repaired chest piece. 

"A little more to the left! There, perfect. Start with the bolts, then the welding." He pushes himself up off the shoulder plate and almost bumps into Eames, coming up behind him with a new part for the head. Eames holds out a hand to steady him and gestures towards the Conn-Pod. 

"Ready to go put this in?" he asks. 

Arthur nods and climbs back onto the scaffolding.

The last kaiju attack had lasted eight hours before Somnus Echo managed to neutralize the threat, but only after sustaining serious damages. They've been in high gear since then, rushing to get her fixed before the next attack. They've been scraping the bottom of the barrel for funds and they're down to a skeleton crew but they keep working.

They lever themselves up onto the head of the jaegar, pulling open the hatch and dropping in. Arthur goes in first and then holds his arms out so Eames can hand down the metal plate down to him. Eames clambers in himself a moment later, footsteps quiet on burnished metal.

He's about to ask Eames for the soldering gun when he notices two huddled shapes in the corner of the pod. He takes a step closer and realizes it's Mal and Dom, dozing off next to each other. Her cheek’s mashed into his shoulder and their arms are around each other while they sleep soundly. They have one of the strongest drift compatibilities on record and the crash hits them hard. They usually stick close whenever construction on Somnus Echo takes place and they must have fallen asleep while helping out. An open tool box is sitting next to them, a screwdriver rolling around on the floor.

Arthur pulls out one of the blankets stashed around for this very purpose and gently drapes it over their shoulders. He turns around and catches Eames looking on fondly.

"Come on, let's do this another time. I'll let Tadashi know to send a crew later," Arthur says, setting the head plate down against the side.

They quietly leave the Conn-Pod. Out on the landing, Eames turns and says to him, "Want to spar?"

 

There's not much of a reason for them to keep in practice, with only four jaegers in the bay and barely enough funding to keep them running but they like to come down to the Kwoon when they have the time. They're no longer pilot hopefuls but they still keep each other on their toes.

At this time of the day, the Kwoon is fairly empty, with only a few other pairs of people around. They take their places on a mat facing each other, fists raised.

"Ready?" Eames asks.

Arthur nods.

They've put aside the shinai sticks for today, choosing to fight with their bare hands. They find a rhythm easily, losing themselves in the movements.

It's strange, looking at where they are now and how they strayed from their original path. They both joined the Jaeger Academy soon after K-Day, unpartnered and ready to fight. They met during their first week, pit against each other in training. Their movements were less sure, dodges and feints weaker, but there was an spark in the way their fists glanced off of each other and a connection in the way they moved across the floor.

Fast forward five years and here they are, matching each other step by step. They're not the pilots they thought they would be, but at least they're doing something to try and stop the world from ending.

Arthur breaks out of his trance when Eames makes a sudden move to the right and he shoots up an arm to block. He anticipates Eames' next move and reaches out to grab an arm and twist, putting his body weight into it.

Eames lands heavily onto his back, Arthur leaning over him with an arm against his throat. A beat, and then Eames laughs. "You got me."

Arthur stands up and holds out a hand to Eames to haul him off of the mat. "Another round?" he asks.

Eames grins and raises his fists. 

 

When they drift together for the first time, their hearts are beating out of their chests and they're tense with nervous energy. They stand there in their drivesuits and they look at each other and nod. A switch is flipped.

Arthur remembers a burst of bright blue, a flood of pain, and then nothing.

When he opens his eyes, Eames is leaning over him, cradling his head with terror in his eyes. LOCCENT crew immediately move in, checking his eyes and pulse, looking for signs of head trauma.

He's lifted onto a stretcher and moved to the medical bay and Eames stays by his side the whole time. It's not until an hour later when the doctor's satisfied that he sustained no permanent damage that Arthur asks Eames what happened.

Eames drums his fingers on his leg, considering. "They said we were highly compatible," he says at last, "but very unstable."

Arthur takes this in. "Do you remember any of it?" he asks.

There is a long pause before Eames responds.

"No," he says.

 

It's three days later when they get the news. The Wall has started construction and all Shatterdomes have had their funding slashed. All money is being redirected towards currently functional jaegers and they've stopped looking for new pilots.

They haven't had a chance to step back into a Conn-Pod yet.

Eames finds Arthur out on the roof, holding a cigarette with shaking fingers. He's leaning on the railing and doesn't look up when Eames comes to stand beside him.

He takes a drag and says, "Fuck. I'm sorry, Eames."

"It's not your fault."

Eames steals his cigarette in a quick motion and fits it between his lips.

"What are we going to do now?"

"We'll find something."

They stand out in the chill until their knees threaten to lock up.

 

It takes near begging and pleading but they find another position in the Shatterdome. Two J-Tech engineers left just days ago to work on the Wall and after some cajoling they have new jobs.

Neither of them talk about what would have happened if it didn't work out. If they had to leave the Shatterdome and watch on passively as monsters from beneath the sea tore up the earth. They don't care about being heroes, not when everything's on the line.

 

It’s ten p.m. and most of the crew have left for the day. Arthur and Eames are the only ones left in the jaeger bay, double checking Somnus Echo. Eames raps a hand along her chest plate, listening to the echoes to make sure the metal hasn’t become dangerously thin. Arthur’s further down on the scaffold, tightening the bolts.

“Arthur,” Eames says, voice carrying in the quiet of the hold, “what are you going to do when all of this is over?”

Arthur glances over. “That’s very optimistic of you,” he replies, “saying _when_ and not _if_.” He twirls the wrench around. “I don’t know. I didn’t exactly leave anything behind when I joined the PPDC.”

He shrugs. “I guess I’ll find out if I live through this. What about you?”

“I don’t have much left,” Eames says, distant. “I used to live on the coast with my family.”

He doesn’t have to say anything else. Since kaiju started coming out of the ocean at an increasing rate, most coastal towns have been deserted. There are only a few ruined remains still standing as proof that there was once something there.

“You know, I was planning on joining the military,” Eames says, suddenly. “I had the enlistment papers ready and everything. And then Tresspasser came…”

“And everything else seemed less important,” Arthur finishes.

“Yeah.”

They finish checking over the jaeger in silence. They walk back to their rooms together, shoulders gently bumping against each other and their footsteps echoing in the dim hallways. 

Outside Arthur’s room, Eames smiles and says, “See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Eames,” he says.

That night, Arthur dreams of a world where kaiju never erupted from the sea. It’s quiet and peaceful and he can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. He wakes up feeling unsettled. 

 

One morning, they’re walking towards the jaeger bay when they run into the head of J-Tech. She’s muttering something about a triple event, eyes panicked. She dashes off, cup of coffee in her hand sloshing onto the floor. They watch her leave with confusion and then an alarm sounds.

They crowd into the doorway of LOCCENT, surrounded by the rest of the crew, staring up at the screens with horror as three kaiju tear their way out of the Breach. The last four functioning jaegers are deployed and they watch with bated breath as they face the kaiju.

When Leatherback fires its EMP and the screens and lights across the Shatterdome flicker off, Eames grabs Arthur by the hand and says, “Come on.”

They rush outside to the landing pad, peering through the mist. Distantly, Arthur’s aware of more of the crew joining them and being jostled as everyone strains to see. It’s not much, but anything’s better than sitting blind.

They're all holding their breaths, watching the distant shape of Otachi ravaging Hong Kong. The wind is blowing hard in their faces and the cold cuts to the bone. Still, they strain their eyes as they hold onto the railing and peer out into the fog.

A cheer goes up as Somnus Echo pushes itself up off the ground. Letting out a screech, Otachi hurls herself back at the jaeger and in the process, swipes her tail across the waters. The wave travels back to them and rocks the platform perilously. With a cry, Arthur is flung over the side into the icy waters.

The cold quickly sinks through his clothes and numbs his skin. He barely feels it when hands grab at him, scrabbling for a hold on his jacket to pull him out of the water. He's lifted up over the railing and collapses on the floor, gasping.

He hears someone bark out, "You, get him a blanket!" and Eames is there, kneeling down in front of him. Hands unzip his jacket and free him from its suffocating wet coldness. Eames roughly shrugs out of his own jacket and drapes it across Arthur's shoulders. He tries to protest but his teeth are chattering too hard to get the words out so he just lets the warmth comfort him. When his legs feel strong enough to stand on, he staggers to his feet, leaning heavily against Eames.

"Do you want to move inside?" Eames asks, voice filled with concern. Arthur shakes his head. If the world is really about to end here, he wants to witness it.

They hold onto each other as they watch Somnus Echo relentlessly fight back.

 

It's a very long day.

Arthur ducks out of the control room where champagne is still flowing to the quieter hallway. He leans against the wall as he thinks about how the world’s just changed. He doesn't know how much time has passed when someone gently touches his arm. He raises his head to see Eames looking at him with concern. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." Arthur gives him a weak smile. He sucks in a breath. "I just can't believe— it's been so long—"

"And it's finally over," Eames finishes. "I know what you mean." He holds out a hand. "Come on. You need to sit down and no one should be alone tonight." 

They walk to Eames' room, Arthur leaning heavily on him. Eames unlocks the door, fumbling slightly with the keys and Arthur takes the moment to look around. He's not quite sure what he expected but the room is sparsely decorated, a few kick-knacks sitting on shelves and a desk with papers strewn around.

He sinks down on the edge of the bed, the same regulation mattress in every Shatterdome bedroom with a soft downy comforter spread across it. Eames walks into the bathroom and starts up the shower. The creaking pipes take a few minutes to warm up, and as they wait, Eames begins laying out extra clothes on the bed next to Arthur. 

"They'll be a bit big on you, but it's better than staying in those wet clothes," he says.

"Thank you," Arthur replies. Before, he was so caught up in the adrenaline of coming so close it all being over and then the Breach finally being closed that he almost forgot about his earlier fall into the ocean. Now, it's catching up with him and he trembles with the cold.  

"The water should be warm by now. Go on, take the first shower."

Arthur nods and shuffles in the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He does his best to shed his clothes and leave them in a neat pile on the counter but his hands start shaking halfway through and he abandons his efforts to stand under the almost too-hot spray of water. He lets the water wash him clean of dirt, the result of working a few days straight with the ticking of the war clock loud in his ears.

But now it's all over. The Breach is closed. The world is no longer threatening to end. His existence is no longer narrowed down to building up jaegers as fast as he can before they're torn down. The war is over and he's free to do what he wants now. 

He's spent so many years focused on the war and now he doesn't know what he wants. 

He absently towels off, mind a haze of half-formed thoughts. He wraps the towel around his waist and walks out of the bathroom. Eames is standing at his desk, clearing up the mess of papers. He looks up as the door swings open. As Arthur picks up the laid out clothes on the bed, Eames slips into the bathroom and Arthur can hear the shower running again.

He changes into the clothes, bemused at how the sleeves hang a few inches too long and how the extra fabric of the pants pool at his ankles. He lies down on the bed and closes his eyes and listens to the running of the water.

When he hears Eames walk out, his eyes are still closed. He can't quite muster up the energy to open them again just yet. He hears footsteps padding around, and then the overhead light clicking off. A few minutes later, the bed dips and a weight settles in next to him. 

"Goodnight, Arthur," Eames murmurs.

Arthur rolls over to face Eames.

"Goodnight," he says. He has no idea what tomorrow has in store and for once, he's content. 

 

 


End file.
